σκληρός
Hard
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What does σκληρός (sklērós) mean in the Bible?
σκληρός (sklērós) is a Greek word meaning "hard". σκληρός, -ά, -όν (σκέλλω, to dry), [in LXX chiefly for קָשָׁה ;] hard to the touch, rough, harsh, (opposite to μαλακός); metaphorically, in various uses; __(a) of men, hard, stern, severe: Mat. Describes offense taken at divine revelation. This term runs through the canonical themes of Messiah, Revelation.
Full entry for σκληρός (G4642) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Hard-hearted resistance to God's will; physical hardness metaphorically applied to moral stubbornness.
(σκέλλω, to dry), [in LXX chiefly for קָשָׁה ;] hard to the touch, rough, harsh, (opposite to μαλακός); metaphorically, in various uses;
Why This Word Matters
Describes offense taken at divine revelation. John 6:60–71
Describes the offense taken at Christ’s teaching.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
New Testament Witnesses
Additional Occurrences
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain